This reads as ignorant. ‘Commented out’ code is ignored by compilers as if it wasn’t there. Modern IDEs (integrated development environments) filter out commented lines. The code you call garbage exists to allow the next programmer that reads it to learn from without burdening the existing routine. Learning = GOOD. Mistakes aren’t repeated.

So your point is…?

AST, Compaq, Dell, & Packard Bell copied the personal computer from IBM. Now IBM’s not in the PC business.

Apple copied their look & feel from Xerox PARC. Now Xerox isn’t in the computer business. (At least not in any relevant way)

Sony copied… well… everyone. Despite recent hiccups, they’re still the market leader in most audio/video categories and have the strongest brand. Original innovators like RCA, Emerson, Zenith… all are gone.

I also don’t think Bill Gates is ‘kicking’ himself. Last I checked, he still has $40B and is still the richest man in the world. And besides, the survival of Apple was paramount to Microsoft separating itself from the DOJ trial. More importantly however, I think the existence of Apple is ultimately important to help continue to push Microsoft to think about relevant changes to their products to improve the state-of-the-art.

I really don’t think Microsoft is getting their “@ss kicked” by any stretch of the imagination. If you’re referring to changes in desktop/laptop marketshare, adoption rates, deltas in revenue or profitability… you’re just plain mistaken. Stating that Apple is”growing” in marketshare in any of these areas relative to Microsoft would be factually incorrect.

92.52% Windows (all versions)
5.27% Mac OS (all revs)
0.96% Linux (all distros)
(Stats taken from http://bit.ly/Jy1OY)

You’d be right if we were talking about iPod.

As someone that grew up in Cupertino, I’ve used Apple as well as PC/IBM/Microsoft products for the past few decades. I like Macs and they certainly appeal to a goodly segment of the population.

But when it comes to MALE MAC USERS, as a generality, I’ve never seen a group of more consistently self-important individuals. They seem hellbent to justifying their existence everywhere they go and to anyone who will tolerate them while doing it in a narcissistic, know-it-all manner that naueates everyone.

You rarely see this level of vitriol from a female Mac user. I think it’s because they don’t care. They use Macs because they’re comfortable with them, it does the job they require it to do, and lets face it, they’re aesthetically pleasing.

But the male Mac user? They’re like the immature college chap that comes back from a semester at university and suddenly declares themselve “world wise” and “the man with all the answers”… the one with “their eyes wide open”. This loudmouth of course is also the walking embarrassment at family get-togethers that everyone rolls their eyes at. Case and point: This thread.

I don’t have a problem with Macs. They’re fine computers. I find that I have more of a problem with the guys that use them.

Secondly, if any car company, drug company, entertainment company, etc., released a product that “mostly” worked, people would be furious! Consider a movie experience. You go buy your ticket, except before you watch the movie you have to pay a little more money for a seat that isn’t blocked, then pay a little more money for a view that would also provide sound, then when you finally do all that, the movie stops playing 3/4 of the way through and the film has to start over at the beginning…

You get the picture I think. Macs are not perfect, they are just a lot less difficult for regular people to sit down and work. The fact that a mostly good experience is even acceptable is just a sign that there was no effective competition for so long, MS got lazy. Now that people have choices some are seeing that the MS experience isn’t all that great.

Yes, it’s really difficult to break away from “grep” and “tar” :>)

I remember the days when the largest seller of non-main frame *nix machines was Radio Shack (M12 and M16) running Xenix… from Microsoft! [hehe].

Apple did a great job putting an attractive User Interface on Unix!

But I still say that Macs are far superior to Windows-based systems, both from the OS and hardware perspective. We’ll see if my opinion holds up once I start putting Windows 7 through it’s paces. But as a long-time Unix sys admin, I’m going to be a very hard sell.

For the 99.85% of us who just want a computer to email and check the weather and read the newspaper and make an airline reservation, these new Microsoft stores will be a great thing. Just like the Apple Stores, they will be just as much about reaching out to consumers in a stylish, relaxing environment where they can play with the merchandise and ask a few questions of a nerdy but sweet college kid in a logo t-shirt.

But I agree with Will, Microsoft needs to kick out the smarmy cell phone salesmen and send them packing to those slimy kiosks in the middle of the mall staffed by spiky haired youths who you avoid making eye contact with. Microsoft shouldn’t let the slimy cell phone hucksters infect their sleek store.

Like the Apple store, they had a station of 4 computers for the kids to play and check out children oriented games. There was a good selection for them to choose from and they were absolutely engaged with it. They also had a child accessible Microsoft Surface station. The really cool thing about it wasn’t just that the kids could carve pumpkins and manipulate images, it was that MS had a very enthusiastic employee right there in the midst playing with them and showing them all the cool features so they can really play.

I am not much into video games, but the Xbox area was hit. Three stations to play games on large video screens, I think this will be a continual attraction to the store that Apple cannot match.

The mobile phone section was almost useless. My iPhone was recently stolen so I went in to compare phones, since it was going to cost me 560.00 dollars for an iPhone replacement, I am probably not going to get another iPhone. They had a guy from Verizon, I think, in a suit immediately try to sell me one, but really he just annoyed me to the point of leaving. Granted, the purpose of the store is to sell me stuff, but the area just did not jive with the rest store. A big reason I bought the iPhone was that I went into their store and just played with it for about 30 minutes, pretty much undisturbed. There is plenty MS could do to improve this, first get rid of the suit. 2nd, make the phones easy and accessible enough to actually play with. 3rd, market the features more so we know how to play with it quickly. Seeing how MS sees this sector as a big growth opportunity and given their huge amount of competition, I am surprised by this oversight.

I also went in hoping to buy some accessories for my laptop, but the selection of 3rd party devices was anemic. The ones that they did have were just boxes on shelves, nothing demo-able. I will try again in a week when the store is less crowded. Maybe I just missed what I was looking for due to the crowds.

Overall, I think my kids are going to start asking to go to the MS store more than the Apple store, because they will be able to do more, computers games + xbox+MS surface vs Apple’s computer games.

Hopefully, MS understands that the key to their long term success is their store employees, yesterday, I met quite a few attentive, knowledgeable, enthusiastic employees. Its going to be tough to maintain that.

Once the Apple store reopens, its going to be great for the consumer seeing them go head to head.

Just curious.

I’ve worked with both since the late 80′s and build my own PC’s and believe me, both the MacOS and the Mac hardware are much better in terms of quality, unless you buy a Windows system that costs as much or more than a Mac.

As the old programmer said, GIGO (garbage in, garbage out).

I use WIndows because as an IT professional I have to due to their market share. But I haven’t bought a PC since 1996; I build my own. But I still buy Macs, starting with my first Mac SE back in 1988 and I prefer them due to the higher level of quality and personal enjoyment they provide.

I bet Bill Gates is still kicking himself for helping Apple back when they had problems before Steve Jobs came back. They’ve been getting their @ss kicked ever since.

But keep it on the down low. I got some stock.

i fail to see how your point is valid. apple does make hardware, so the fantasy world where they only make software doesn’t exist. both microsoft and apple are in business to make money. that is their objective. hbsince1980 said apple doesn’t get it and never has gotten it. but that just isn’t true. apple makes roughly the same annual revenue as microsoft, so either apple gets it or microsoft also doesn’t get it. and if microsoft’s main revenue source was their zune and xbox and not their OS, then they wouldn’t get it either? and that $48 billion that microsoft would make on their hardware would be worth less than the $40 billion that (remember we’re still in your fantasy world here) comes from apple’s software sales?